Chasing the Stars
by SamanthaTheWriter
Summary: It's late, Momo can't sleep, and the stars sure are pretty. In fact, the only thing prettier than the stars themselves is, quite simply, Kido. / KidoMomo, one-shot.


**Just me being weeaboo trash with my babies. I read a fic somewhere that inspired me to make this, so all credit goes to him/her for the idea. Apparently Momo aspires to be a pilot in canon, but I kinda botched that so...sorry? ^ ^;;  
** **I hope you enjoy! Please, all criticism and such is welcomed! :D**

 **(BTW KagePro obviously doesn't belong to me. Okay. I'm done now.)**

* * *

If there was anything Momo loved, it was the stars.

She never told anybody, of course, because she was an _idol_ , and idols weren't viewed as real people, weren't supposed to have emotions or hobbies or – god forbid – _interests_. Celebrities were icons, purposefully designed to be immediately recognizable with no real substance behind the pretty face.

Momo understood that, had accepted it a long time ago, because she knew that if she wasn't able to accept that fact, she'd inevitably lose her mind, flicker out of the spotlight, and so she forced a smile and pretended to be oblivious to her predetermined fate.

Momo didn't have much, just the telescope Professor Tateyama had secretly given her for her sixteenth birthday – he had taught her long enough to know her passion for astrology, although he never asked and she never said anything about it – but it was enough for her. She hid it in the very back of her closet, behind all the girly dresses, hoodies, and costumes for her performances, keeping it safe and clean and surprisingly well-kept, considering the rest of her room was an utter mess.

She took it out almost every night, opening the window quietly and placing the telescope right so that its neck could stick out the window, and into the crisp nighttime air.

She even tried buying books about space. Visiting the library or a bookstore was out of the question (she could already imagine the scandalous headlines in the tabloids), so she ordered them online, and every morning she woke up extra early just so her mother or Shintaro – her dreaded _hikiNEET_ older brother – didn't find her package before her. When Momo finally got them, she'd look at the pictures, try reading some of the words, and imagine how it would be up there, floating over the Earth, so far away from her fans and all these worldly problems.

Of course, though, that was just a dream. As long as she was Momo Kisaragi, she would always be an idol. That was just her fate, she supposed. She was never meant to reach the stars.

Still, it didn't hurt to dream.

Up there, there was no gravity and no sound, which sounded absolutely awesome. She'd be completely alone, floating effortlessly with no way to hear the screaming of her fans or the nagging of her modeling agents or record producers, but, at the same time, she'd still have the entire planet to look at. Some of the books had fantastic pictures on the front of the Earth that looked like a gigantic blue marble. Those images always intrigued her; she wondered if it really was as beautiful as those pictures made it out to be.

At night, sometimes Momo wouldn't bother with her telescope, but she'd open up the window and peer outside wistfully. She couldn't believe how far away the moon was from where she was; it always appeared so _large_ when, in reality, it was still hundreds of thousands of miles away.

If only she could visit up there and take in the view of the galaxy all around her from up close. From here, she could only see the stars as tiny dots – faint twinkling glimmers – but maybe up there, she'd be able to see what they really were: great orbs of blinding light, all full of possibilities.

Some of the books she read weren't fiction at all, and actually talked about the stars and planets a bit, drabbling from the lives of astronauts to space itself. She tried to pinpoint the planets and constellations as they described, but they only confused her; the sky didn't look the same as some of the pictures in the book, to her immense disappointment.

Since she couldn't match what she read with what was over her head, she decided to name the stars herself. Most of them were named after anime and manga characters she liked, but then she named some of them after people she knew. One bright, sparkling star was simply called "Otosan", which cheered her up, thinking that her dad was a star. That definitely sounded cooler than heaven.

Closing her book, Momo rolled over on her bed until she was lying on her back, sighing wistfully as she stared up at the ceiling. She had decided to spend the night at Apartment 107, but she was feeling unusually restless that night, and while the book was helping immensely, she didn't have her telescope with her, and all the information pouring from the book into her brain only made her want to go to the stars that much more.

Momo had stayed over countless times before, and she had been fine then, so what was bugging her _now_? Her surroundings were entirely familiar to her – she practically considered the base her second home, and while this was technically a "guest room", it was unofficially hers by default – but now the comforting sight of the room just made her want to get up and pace around, to _do_ something.

She sat up in her bed, hopping out dressed in only a flimsy white tank top and a pair of pajama shorts. Tugging on her pink and white checkered hoodie, Momo opened the door silently and quickly peeked from the room she was currently occupying. Everybody else appeared to be asleep – the lights were off, and all the other bedroom doors were closed – so with a cautious glance around, Momo tiptoed out into the hall, creeping through the base as quietly as possible.

Momo contemplated briefly on what to do. Honestly, she didn't even really know why she was even out of her room; it was just that being confined was so _suffocating_ , and she needed a little space to breathe. The only thing she could think to do was visit someone, to have a friendly chat that would get all the edginess out of her system.

Kano was out of the question: that boy didn't have a serious bone in his body. And while Seto would surely understand – he felt the same way about nature, after all – he was sleeping with Marry (in a strictly nonsexual way, of course, she scolded her perverted mind), and Momo would feel guilty if she interrupted their time together.

That only left Kido.

Her most recent book was tucked under her arm as she closed her door and glided over to Kido's room. Luckily, Kido's bedroom was pretty close by, so Momo slid her friend's door open and snuck inside, shutting it silently behind her with a sharp click. The sound was oddly final, standing out in the thick silence of the entire apartment.

Momo froze once she caught sight of Kido, tucked securely in bed with her eyes softly shut. She looked so much calmer in sleep… In that split second, she couldn't help but think of how cute she looked, her breaths soft and even and her body rustling in bed every so often and –

' _Get a hold of yourself, Kisaragi!'_

Shaking off those weird thoughts, Momo bent down once she reached Kido's bed, their faces mere inches apart. She could feel Kido's hot breath against her face, and her breath hitched quietly. Even if Danchou was impossibly cool while awake, she looked like a cuddly little kitten when asleep.

Momo felt her cheeks burning bright red at these horrifying thoughts, some dreaded sense of mortification washing over her in an instant. She was in her platonic female friend's bedroom without her consent, _watching her sleep_ – god, something was definitely wrong with her. She lifted one slim finger and poked Kido's cheek, curious to see what reaction she'd have on the taller, green-haired girl.

"Ghh…"

Momo couldn't suppress a girlish giggle at the sound of Kido's garbled mumble. With wide, innocent eyes, she raised her finger again and jabbed the other cheek this time, biting her lip to keep down a grin at the sight of Kido's face scrunching up.

"Mghhh what is it –" Kido stifled a yawn before she could say anything further, and Momo bit the inside of her cheek hard enough to draw blood in order to keep her laughter muffled. Kido lifted one hand weakly to swat at whatever was poking her, and the Danchou's fingertips grazed Momo's hand.

Kido cracked one eye open instantly, and Momo's eyes widened in surprise; part of her was worried that Kido would give her one of her iconic Danchou Glares, which were strong enough to melt most grown men on the spot. Luckily, however, Kido just…stared, bleary-eyed and confused for a few seconds before pushing herself upright into a sitting position.

"Kisaragi…? Is that you?"

Momo nodded eagerly, all fear inside her gone. With a chirp, she replied, "Yep, it's me."

With that affirmation, Kido leaned over towards her bedside table to turn the nearest lamp on. A small bulb slowly flickered to life, and the room was suddenly lit in a soft veil of dim yellow light, illuminating the contents of her immaculately neat room. Kido's face was emotionless and blank, but Momo could see the amusement brimming in her eyes. "So, do you come here often?"

It wasn't really a question – more like a simple statement, really – but Momo nevertheless answered, her cheeks sheepishly dusted a soft pink as she reluctantly admitted, "Yeah, sometimes. But only when I can't sleep."

"Hm." Kido made a noise of acceptance, and then nodded curtly. Her long green hair was sticking up in the strangest of places, and Momo, without thinking, reached over to brush the tangles out of her face, her fingers gentle and ghostlike as they grazed over her forehead. Kido blinked at her through her messy bangs, but didn't say anything.

Momo, coming back to her senses, yanked her hand away swiftly, and the embarrassed blush only darkened on her cheeks, spreading all over her face and down her neck. What was up with her tonight? She clearly wasn't thinking straight. She blamed it on sleep deprivation.

"Um…so what's keeping you up?" Kido asked awkwardly. Her tone was stiff, but Momo was glad that her friend was at least attempting to spark up a conversation, despite how uncomfortable she sounded trying to seem casual. "A – Ah, I mean…what's up?"

"The stars." Momo didn't hesitate answering, her composure mostly recovered. She gestured upward towards the roof with her book. "It's hard to sleep, knowing I'm not up there with them."

Kido nodded sagely, processing the information. She was probably the only person who knew about Momo's fascination with astronomy besides her "beloved" professor. After a moment of deep thought, she said quietly, "Well, you know what we can do about that, right?"

Momo tilted her head to the side, letting her short strawberry blonde hair fall over one shoulder. Confused, she suggested weakly, "Steal a spaceship?"

It wasn't meant to be a joke, but Kido chuckled quietly under her breath all the same. "No, how about something a little more feasible?"

Kido got out from under the bedsheets, and Momo's eyes widened at the sight of their Danchou, dressed in nothing more than a baggy t-shirt that reached just below her thighs – probably something she had stolen from Seto's or Kano's closet. Walking towards the door, Kido glanced at the teen idol over her shoulder. "C'mon, let's go."

Momo was still confused, but, trusting Kido, followed her lead, and snuck back out of the room. When they started roaming the halls of their apartment, she finally found the courage to ask, "Wait, Danchou, where are we going?"

"Just follow me." Kido responded mysteriously, only arousing more questions from Momo. She managed to keep her mouth shut, and didn't say anything more.

The apartment sure seemed scarier at night without all the lights on; something about the silence didn't sit well with her, especially since the Mekakushi Dan was always so _loud_. The shadows cast across the rooms sprinkled her skin with goosebumps, and her heartbeat pulsed through her entire being almost erratically, like a fluttering bird trapped in a cage of bones.

It was only when Kido began heading towards the kitchen – and the front door – that Momo became seriously self-conscious about her attire. It wasn't exactly… _appropriate_ to be wearing outside, especially if they were going to be taking a stroll in the park or something. Then again, it wasn't like Kido's outfit was any better, so Momo decided to keep quiet, at least for now.

Kido didn't speak as she made her way through the deserted halls, Momo close behind. The two fell into a somewhat comfortable, somewhat awkward silence, with Momo too curious to speak and Kido seemingly too embarrassed to say anything – or perhaps it was just because this was _Kido_ , the levelheaded and kuudere, mature-and-yet-seriously-adorable leader of the Mekakushi Dan.

The green-haired Danchou finally stopped in front of a window, before glancing around suspiciously. Momo felt a hint of uncertainty pinching at the back of her mind, a fleeting murmur that _maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all_ –

Kido opened the window, and then carefully crawled out onto the fire escape outside.

Momo gawked, wanting to speak more than anything as she stammered (albeit in a quiet voice), "D – Danchou! Be careful, I don't know the last time this building had those repaired, but it can't be safe! And what are we even doing, this is crazy, and we should get back –"

"Kisaragi." Kido said sternly, interrupting her session of internal panic. She sounded firm and authoritative, but Momo could hear the motherly tone in her voice. "Breathe."

Momo took in a gulp of air obediently, holding it a moment before releasing. After that, Kido's expression softened, voice losing its sharp edge. The corners of her mouth lifted as she tried for a tiny smile that seemed to melt Momo's heart. "Just…trust me, alright? Nothing bad will happen, I promise."

She took another deep breath to calm herself, and then nodded again. Kido would never put one of her friends in danger, because Kido was a nice person, an amazingly cool and awesome person. Momo was sure Kido had good intentions behind this whole journey, and she would be lying if she said she wasn't interested in what exactly her green-haired friend had planned for her.

Momo slowly pulled herself out the window and onto the fire escape, nearly losing her balance and toppling over before Kido caught her swiftly. Momo stammered her thanks unintelligibly and tried to stay calm, despite the creakiness of the platform beneath her feet and the fact that they were three stories above ground level.

Kido glanced at her with an otherwise indifferent expression, if not for the concern in her eyes. Her jaw was set tightly, face a bit pale, showing she wasn't quite as relaxed as she tried to seem. "You alright, Kisaragi? You look a bit scared."

"I – I'm fine, Danchou!" Momo quickly said, cursing the slight stutter in her voice as she forced an awkward laugh. Kido didn't seem convinced, but sighed, leading the way as they traversed up the long, long flights of stairs that led up the side of the building.

Momo was sure they must've looked crazy to any random passerby: two girls, barely dressed, sneaking up a rusty fire escape in the middle of the night heading for god-knows-where. Still, the minty nighttime air was definitely an improvement over the warmth inside. The chill that danced along her bare skin seemed to reinvigorate her, keeping her spirit alive and lively despite the time.

"Ah, here we are." Kido murmured – more to herself than to Momo – when they got to the roof.

Momo stumbled on her bare feet, blindly following Kido, until she came to an abrupt realization and stopped walking. This was their destination, it seemed, and instinctively her head snapped up towards the sky, before her eyes widened and her jaw actually dropped at the sight.

The stars were absolutely gorgeous, especially tonight. While the telescope certainly did help to magnify things, it didn't even come close to fully capturing the luster and shine of the stars. Everything was so _bright_ , and Momo doubted she had ever been able to see the sky so clearly before; she had simply never gotten the chance to. Her voice was a hushed whisper, her eyes glued to the heavens, "Oh, no way."

"This is…as far as I can take you, I guess." Kido's voice dropped to a low murmur, almost as if she was _embarrassed_ – although that surely had to be impossible. "Y'know. To the stars."

"Well, the stars…they're so…thank you, Danchou. It's beautiful." Momo felt unusually breathless as she finally lowered her eyes and looked – actually _looked_ – at the girl beside her with a giant beaming smile. Kido seemed so _mystical_ now, almost as if she was glowing alongside the stars, and the teen idol didn't hesitate in plopping down, taking a seat and laying back on the roof with a content sigh.

Kido stared down at Momo with a look she could only describe as 'restrained fondness', before giving in with a sigh and joining her. A small smile on her face, Kido watched the beautiful sight in the sky, chuckling when she noticed the wondrous, awestruck look on Momo's face.

Minutes passed in comfortable silence as Momo stared up at the stars, intrigued by the swirl of dark blue and indigo mixed in with the gleaming specks. Momo snuck a glance at Kido momentarily, curious to see what the other girl was doing, only to find her peeking back as well. Kido's face flushed a rosy shade of pink and quickly turned back to staring upwards.

Momo finally decided to break the silence, pointing upwards at a star that had caught her attention – it stood out among the rest, seeming to shine the brightest out of them all – and giggled as she firmly stated, "That's gonna be 'Kido'. E – Er, or 'Danchou', whichever you prefer."

"Kido is fine, Kisaragi." Kido answered coolly. And with that, she smirked, lifting her own arm to point out a star right nearby. With a calm and collected tone that sounded undeniably happy, she replied, "That'll be 'Momo'. A - Ah, and that cluster of stars can be everyone else. That way, the entire Mekakushi Dan can be there, too."

Momo giggled at that, and her chest swelled. Being immortalized as a star, always near Kido and the others for billions of years until they scattered and were reborn again as new stars…it didn't sound half-bad. Without thinking, Momo stayed pressed at Kido's side, and boldly grasped her hand, their fingers intertwining. It felt so natural, so _good_ , just like the stars.

Kido's eyes widened slightly at the gesture, and then she _smiled_.

The action was probably fairly normal for her, but for Momo it felt like the entire world had turned on its head. Kido – the ultra-cool, Member Number 1, Danchou of the Mekakushi Dan – never truly _smiled_. Sure, her lips twitched, she smirked, she even coughed low laughs in her throat, but she _never_ smiled like that, a pure smile that radiated kindness, and with a sudden lurch in her chest, in that split second, Momo realized she would do anything to see it again, every day for as long as she lived.

That was the first night Momo wanted to kiss Kido – not a childish kiss to the cheek, not a sisterly peck on the lips, but a _real_ kiss – but it was also the first night a tiny spark of fear ignited in her, fearing what might happen and the unpleasant consequences if she decided to act on those forbidden feelings. In her mind, Kido was unobtainable, just as desirable and far away as the stars.

But at the same time, the stars were still beautiful to look at from afar. And that was something she could hold onto, right? It didn't hurt to dream, after all.

In Momo's mind, she would always love the stars, but Tsubomi Kido would always be a very, very close second.


End file.
